All the eclipses, supermoons, meteor showers and planets to observe in 2026
Bright full moons, dazzling meteor showers, and remarkable total eclipses will give skywatchers plenty of reasons to look up in 2026.
The new year begins with the Wolf Moon on Saturday, the first of three supermoons this year. Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, will appear south of the silvery orb, according to EarthSky .The brightness of the supermoon, which appears brighter and fuller than a normal full moon due to its proximity to Earth, can hinder the visibility of the Quadrantid meteor shower
The Quadrantids are expected to peak between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, just as the full moon dominates the night sky. But there are many more meteor showers and celestial events to look forward to in 2026, according to Robert Lunsford, fireball reporting coordinator for the American Meteor Society .Most years have 12 full moons, one each month. But in 2026, there will be 13, with two in May.The second full moon in a month is known as a blue moon.
Normally, full moons occur every 29 days, while most months in our calendar last 30 or 31 days, so the months and lunar phases don't align exactly, resulting in a blue moon approximately every two and a half years. After January's supermoon, the next two supermoons will occur in November and December. On average, the Moon is about 384,472 kilometers from Earth.But the December supermoon will be the closest of the year, at 356,740 kilometers away, according to EarthSky .
These are the rest of the full moons in 2026, according to the Farmers' Almanac :
February 1: Snow Moon
March 3: Worm Moon
April 1st: Pink Moon
May 1st: Flower Moon
May 31: Blue Moon
June 29: Strawberry Moon
July 29: Buck Moon
August 28: Sturgeon Moon
September 26: Harvest Moon
October 26: Hunter's Moon
November 24: Beaver Moon
December 23: Cold Moon
After the peak of the Quadrantids in early January, skywatchers will have to wait a while until the Lyrid meteor shower in April.
These are the dates for the remaining meteor showers that will peak in 2026, according to the American Meteor Society:
Lyrids: April 21-22
Eta Aquarids: May 5-6
Southern Delta Aquariids: July 30-31
Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31
Perseids: August 12-13
Orionids: October 21-22
Southern Taurids: November 4-5
Northern Taurids: November 11-12
Leonidas: November 16-17
Geminids: December 13-14
Ursids: December 21-22
“The Perseids and Geminids will be the best meteor showers of the year,” Lunsford said.
“The Perseids are expected to peak without any lunar interference.”
The Geminids produced a powerful shower in 2025 with meteor rates per hour of up to 135, Lunsford noted.
"There is no reason why we cannot expect similar rates in 2026 once the moon is hidden."
An annular solar eclipse will occur on February 17 over Antarctica. This phenomenon happens every year when the Moon is near or at its farthest point in its orbit from Earth as it passes between the Earth and the Sun. As a result, the Moon cannot completely block the Sun as it does during a total solar eclipse , and instead, the Sun's intense light surrounds the Moon's shadow, creating a ring of fire effect. Meanwhile, a partial solar eclipse in the shape of a crescent will be visible in Antarctica, Africa, and South America.
Make sure to wear appropriate eclipse glasses to safely observe solar eclipses, as sunlight can damage your eyes.
A total solar eclipse will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and parts of Portugal on August 12. A partial eclipse will occur for those observing it in Europe, Africa, and North America.
Lunar eclipses
A total lunar eclipse will appear in the night sky for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas on March 3.
A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align and the Moon passes into Earth's shadow. When this happens, Earth casts two shadows on the Moon. The partial outer shadow is called the penumbra; the full, dark shadow is the umbra.
When the full moon enters Earth's shadow, it darkens, but it doesn't disappear. Instead, sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere dramatically illuminates the moon, turning it red, which is why this event is often referred to as a "blood moon."
